There are a variety of industrial processes and applications that utilize a press to produce articles of manufacture. For example, a press may be used to apply pressure or “squeeze” to a mold to help seal the mold cavity for pressurization during a molding process. In one particular process or application, a press is used to apply squeeze to a tire curing or vulcanizing mold to help seal the mold cavity for pressurization during the curing/vulcanizing process.
There are a variety of press types or designs that may be used to apply squeeze to a mold. One particular type of press is a vertical mechanical press that includes upper and lower beams to which mating mold halves are attached. The mechanical press also includes side links for moving the beams relative to each other. Typically, the side links are used to move the upper beam downward toward the lower beam to close and apply squeeze to the mold and upward away from the lower beam to open the mold.
The mechanical press includes a mechanical drive for actuating the side links to cause relative movement between the beams. For example, the side links may have an eccentric connection with crank gears that are supported on the press for rotation about an axis. An electric motor may be used to rotate the pinion gears which impart rotation of the crank gears to actuate the side links.
In the art of tire curing, it is desirable that the press applies the proper amount of squeeze to the tire curing mold. If the squeeze is too high, the mold or the press may be damaged. If the squeeze is too low, tire rubber (“flash”) may leak from between the mold halves, the tire may be defective, or high pressure steam may escape the mold. Because of this, it is desirable to monitor the amount of squeeze that is applied to the mold during the tire curing process. One method by which the amount of squeeze can be monitored is through the measurement and monitoring of strain in the side links of the tire curing press.